Tightrope

Ladies and gentleman...Janelle Monáe

Song of the summer? I guess we'll have to wait and see!

A day in the (new) life

So Angie and I are sitting on the couch last night watching The Blind Side (great story, good film).
All of the sudden she grabs my hand and puts it on her belly.
A few seconds later I felt this delicate, little kick!
The first I've felt from our little baby boy!

A rush of emotions washed over me...
Love for a child I've yet to meet.
A very deep sense of love for my wife who is bearing the host of physical and emotional changes that a pregnancy brings.
A realization, which becomes more of a reality as Angie's belly grows, that I am charged by God to care for, support and raise this little child of His according to the grace He gives.

As my eyes filled to the brink of tears, I pondered those I would shed during my son's life -- tears of sadness, tears of joy and tears of pride, among others.

Abba Father

Instruct me in the way of love

Break me, continue to mold me

So that I may live for You and you alone

Do the same for his mother

And give this baby the power, through your Spirit, 

to run toward You with everything he has

Where are you headed?

prodigal [mar2010], originally uploaded by defythegray

reCreative Ministries
PRODIGAL

Photo by Trey Ratcliff [Stuck in Customs]

["Why do you look for the living among the dead?"]

"He is not here; he has risen!"

Luke 24:5-6 

Photo by Tim Beck

"It is finished."

[With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.]

John 19:30

BEAUTY

BEAUTY [feb2010], originally uploaded by defythegray.
reCreative Ministries
Beauty in God's eyes

Related: stars

hope lies beneath

hope lies beneath [jan2010], originally uploaded by defythegray.

reCreative Ministries
Loss & Hope

new beginnings

untitled [dec09], originally uploaded by defythegray.

This is a piece I created as part of reCreative Ministries' artists' guild. I've also linked up the reCreative site under the [Nu]Art catagory on the sidebar.

reCreative is (and will become) a gallery of pieces from different artists working in many different mediums -- everything from writing to music to visual art. As the Lord leads, I hope to submit as often as I can.

And please accept this post as a personal invitation to join the artists' guild. All the info you need to do so can be found here. Any other questions, drop me an email or comment.

new life

I've found my life

I've found my life

Amen

Amen

Sojourn . Amen, Amen [follow link to mp3]

innocence [revisited]

Kiaya Mouer . Untitled
October 2009

I've touched on innocence before. This painting, by my 5 year old niece, led me to consider it once again. It occurs to me that the very core of innnocence has less to do with a lack of knowledge and more to do with an implicit trust in all things. For instance, its not that my niece doesn't know about violence (although she probably may not), but rather that she trusts that everyone she comes into contact with is inately good. The result is that she, in turn, is able to love others more purely than most. Certainly more than me.

For years I've tried to act out this level of trust in Jesus. And I've failed. Or maybe fallen short is the better way to characterize my feeble attempts. And I know that this kind of trust is not possible without the work of Christ and the Spirit within me. I'm just not exactly sure what that looks like on a daily basis. Or how to better cultivate it.

Actually, I think prayer and otherwise spending some quality time with Him would go a long way in fostering this; but I find it so hard to commit. It almost seems that I'm afraid to lose my life. The very life that, at times, leaves me in ill contempt of Him for the very reason that I am unable to give it all. Like every single breath. Every single step.

And I know its a process. And I know it takes a certain amount of balance.

But I'm way past that, and the reasoning that follows.

I want to hang (on the cross) with Him. I want to struggle to find the next breath. I want to give up my spirit.

Because I know I can't truly live until I do so.